Manhasset approves Black Box Theater renovation: work to start Dec. 15, asbestos removal planned

The Manhasset Union Free School District Board of Education approved moving forward with phase 3 and 4 of the Black Box Theater renovation and heard details about schedule and asbestos remediation.

Staff told trustees that, pending approval, actual construction work is slated to start the week of Dec. 15 and will occur after hours so school activity in adjacent spaces is not disrupted. "Actual construction work is gonna start the week of the December 15... All work will be after hours," a staff member said, and the contract lists a completion date of May 1.

Trustees asked about temporary relocation of classes that use the black box; staff said groups will use alternative spaces such as the auditorium while work proceeds. Staff recommended removing all identified asbestos — containment in the main-space ceiling, flooring in a storage room, and pipe wrap on some plumbing fixtures — and estimated asbestos abatement would take roughly a week to two weeks. Trustees endorsed proceeding to minimize disruption and to carry out asbestos remediation while the space is out of service.

The board did not discuss contract dollar amounts in the public session. Work is scheduled to be performed after hours and to return spaces to regular use by school days following those work periods. The district expects to return to normal scheduling and use of the spaces once the contract work and abatement are complete.